Kim Jong-un Summons Local Party Officials: "Increasing Agricultural Production Is the Primary Economic Task"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, urged an increase in agricultural production during a training session held with city and county party officials, stating that "increasing agricultural production is the primary economic task." This appears to emphasize self-reliance amid severe food shortages in North Korea caused by floods and typhoons.

The Workers' Party of Korea's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on the 5th that "the 1st City and County Party Secretaries Training Session continued on the 4th."

The training session for city and county party secretaries, which gathers party officials from various regions in one place, is being held for the first time this time, having started on the 3rd and continuing into its second day. General Secretary Kim guided the session on the second day as well, presenting decisive conclusions.

Kim said, "City and county party secretaries must meticulously plan and lead efforts to implement the tasks set forth by the 8th Party Congress and the 2nd Plenary Meeting, achieving clear results in the economic work of cities and counties and in improving the people's living standards," adding, "The primary economic task for city and county party secretaries is to decisively increase agricultural production."

He continued, "Party secretaries must always emphasize mobilizing agricultural sector cadres and workers to vigorously engage in the struggle to implement the Party's agricultural policies," stressing the establishment of scientific farming plans for cooperative farms. He also emphasized the fight against exaggeration in the agricultural sector.

Kim stated, "Based on skilled labor capacity and construction equipment, local construction must be vigorously promoted," urging to "actively utilize the geographical conditions of each region to revitalize local industrial factories, increase the production of consumer goods, and vigorously develop livestock and aquaculture industries."

Kim Jong-un's emphasis on increasing agricultural production, developing livestock and aquaculture, revitalizing local factories, and expanding consumer goods production appears to express a determination to overcome the food crisis through self-reliance. It is also interpreted as an effort to motivate grassroots organizations to implement the five-year economic plan established at the 8th Party Congress and the 2nd Plenary Meeting.

This also seems to be a 'desperate measure' by North Korea, which lacks the capacity to inject new resources for economic development. Professor Lim Eul-chul of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University analyzed, "While the significance of holding the first-ever city and county party secretaries training session in party history is noteworthy, there is no indication of a new vision or breakthrough in terms of local economic construction or balanced regional development," adding, "It appears difficult to immediately inject new national-level resources for local economic development, and future outcomes depend on the comprehensive capacity enhancement of local party officials."

Meanwhile, on the same day, North Korea held expanded plenary meetings of the Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, the Central Committee of the Korean Agricultural Workers' Union, and the Central Committee of the Korean Socialist Women's Union, discussing matters related to the five-year economic plan presented at the 8th Party Congress.